| Nationality |
China |
| Case Overview |
The client was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in the first trial for violating laws related to the punishment of acts such as prostitution mediation. An appeal was necessary. |
| Special Circumstances |
The client, a Chinese national awaiting the result of her naturalization application, hoped to avoid deportation and reduce the criminal penalty imposed in the first trial. |
| Case Handler |
Lead Attorney Yongjun Kim |
| Outcome |
Sentence reduced from imprisonment to a fine (200,000 KRW) |
1. Client Situation and Facts
The client, a Chinese woman, came to Korea as a child invited by her Korean mother. She started her career as a fitting model for shopping malls but faced financial instability. To secure a stable future, she attended a beauty school.
Struggling with tuition and living expenses, the client was introduced to criminal activities by a friend and was subsequently investigated by the police for violating laws related to prostitution mediation. She was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in the first trial. Fearing deportation, she urgently sought our assistance for the appeal.
2. Case Issues and Our Argument (Resolution Process)
The client's situation was critical; if the original verdict was upheld, she would face forced deportation and be unable to continue her life in Korea. Our firm, Ma-Jung, developed a strategic plan through close consultation with the client.
1) Minimal Involvement and Economic Gain
The client, economically strained by living and tuition costs, committed the crime as a one-time mistake. She had no prior criminal record, and the economic gain from this single offense was minimal. We emphasized these points strongly.
2) No Harm to Victims
The client had not caused any additional harm to the victim after the offense. The complainant's statement did not mention any direct harm by the client, supporting our claim of no risk of reoffense.
We stressed that upholding the sentence would shatter her dreams of living happily with her mother in Korea and pleaded for leniency.
3. Case Outcome and Client Benefit
Our dedicated efforts resulted in the appellate court reducing the sentence to
a fine of 200,000 KRW. This reduction from the original six-month imprisonment and two-year suspended sentence allowed the client to avoid the risk of forced deportation.
4. Significance of the Disposition (Explanation of the Disposition)
When the client approached us, the situation was urgent, given the six-month prison sentence and two-year suspended sentence already issued. Drawing on our extensive experience with foreign clients, Ma-Jung swiftly gathered the necessary materials to secure a favorable outcome. We sincerely hope that the client, who envisioned a new future as a beautician in Korea, can now lead a more stable life. We appreciate the trust placed in Ma-Jung.
